West Coast council considers rejoining LGNZ
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council has agreed to consider rejoining Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), but only to represent the entire local government sector in the region.
In mid-2023, the council kicked to touch its membership to the body which represents New Zealand councils.
The year before, in 2022, it put LGNZ on notice after querying the collective cost and benefit to West Coast ratepayers.
LGNZ charged fees for each of the region's three district councils and its regional council.
LGNZ president and Selwyn mayor Sam Broughton fronted council in April, talking up the benefits of membership, while noting membership was based on an individual council, not the number of ratepayers.
He received a cool reception but a staff report back to council this week suggested council should reconsider now, or defer it again until 2025.
In recent months the Westland and Grey district councils have decided not to renew their LGNZ membership, although Buller last month confirmed it will remain a member.
Regional council acting chairman Brett Cummings said it would make sense to have at least one council in the region as an LGNZ member.
Councillor Frank Dooley, the sole voice in 2023 to keep LGNZ membership, said he wanted clarity about the council's benefit in the past year of being part of the alternative regional councils' sector group Te Uru Kahika.
Council chief executive Darryl Lew said the question of LGNZ membership was for council, not management. However, the council would "not survive" without the input of Te Uru Kahika.
It provided crucial tools such as a shared compliance framework template for example which were invaluable for the regional sector, Lew said.
The main benefit for the council from Te Uru Kahika was at an operational level and "to a degree, politically, so we don't have to reinvent the wheel".
Lew said LGNZ membership could be "a political vehicle" for councillors.
At the same time, there was "very little operational benefit" by returning to LGNZ whereas Te Uru Kahika had successfully elevated to a national level in recent years a collective approach to the likes of flood infrastructure, he said.
Councillor Mark McIntyre asked if the council would get $41,000 of value by re-joining LGNZ.
Lew replied "that's up to you", but Westland and Grey councils deemed their membership was not good value.
Te Runanga o Ngāti Waewae representative Francois Tumahai said he saw some value in the region being collectively represented by LGNZ.
That could be via one council and he suggested this be canvassed at an upcoming mayors, chairs, and iwi leaders' forum.
"It's definitely useful to be in there, but not at an astronomical sum," Tumahai said.
Dooley agreed, saying representation for one council was important at a national level.
He called on council to give its chair and the chief executive discretion to confirm membership.
However, councillor Peter Ewen said he was still opposed to LGNZ but would go with one voice for the four councils.
Ewen said "giving away $41,000" to LGNZ was still questionable in his mind.
He would be happy for the LGNZ matter to be an "action point" rather than a recommendation, he said.
This was supported five votes to one.
Kalle
"Sports and travelling run in the family, and that's kind of what's led me to come to New Zealand."
"I grew up in a small town in Finland. My dad was involved with sports all his life, he was a shot putter, discus thrower, powerlifter, we traveled quite a bit when I was a kid. He never mentioned much of the rugby days. He just said he broke both of his shin bones playing rugby, so he said, ‘never play the sport, It's crazy.’
I started playing when I was 18. I played my first cap for the Finnish national team in 2014, we won the Finnish championship with my club. Rugby is not a big thing in Finland.
I moved here to play rugby in 2017. The club that wanted me to come over was Methven Rugby Club. They got me here and they were like, ‘what do you do for work? I’d just finished chef school in Finland. ‘We'll get you a job at Mount Hutt as a chef, you can do that while you play rugby with us.’ I said, ‘Perfect. Yeah, I'm in’.
I've always loved food. My mum was an amazing cook, and still is. When I was studying tourism I worked in some hotels in Finland, and I saw how the chef's worked. I just loved the kitchen vibe and I was like, Yeah, that’d be something I'd love to do.
I've had more of a culinary journey In New Zealand than in Finland. I started at Mount Hutt, after that I worked at The Dubliner in Methven. I worked as a senior pizza chef at Sal’s for maybe six months then worked as chef de partie at Cellar Door. At Eliza's Manor, I worked myself up to a junior sous chef. Then the opportunity came to work my first head chef job at Moon Under Water.
We're privileged to have a busy atmosphere, we can try new things and get a bit creative. There are no TV’s, just come here with your family or with your mates, play board games, to socialise.
I really want to drive the local food and ingredients through the menu. We don't mind spending more for quality ingredients as long as it's supporting New Zealand businesses. We just love to use local. And it's pub food, but I feel like it's elevated.
I play club rugby here for the Christchurch Football Club, the oldest club in New Zealand and I still play regularly for the Finnish national team, whenever they can fly me over to play."
- Kalle
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
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Have your say on Canterbury’s public transport
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Canterbury residents are being encouraged to have their say on public transport in the region.
Environment Canterbury has released its draft public transport plan and is seeking submissions.
The draft plan outlines a vision for public transport in the region and notes key priorities such as improving the environment, growing patronage, accessibility, innovation and technology, and affordability.
‘‘Public transport takes many forms with communities across our region,’’ councillor Peter Scott said.
‘‘With limited funding available, we need to make sure we make the best decisions to deliver a public transport network that is integrated with urban development, innovative and meets the needs of new and existing customers.
‘‘Effective public transport is the lifeline that connects us to work, school, recreation and our friends and family, so it is important we get this right.’’
The Canterbury’s population is growing and by 2050, it is projected 700,000 people will be living in Greater Christchurch.
The draft plan covers public transport for the region, which includes the Metro service (Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri), MyWay by Metro in Timaru, Total Mobility and Community Vehicle Trusts.
It was developed in partnership with local councils and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
Environment Canterbury has been planning to step up its public transport efforts by increasing the frequency of existing services and introducing mass rapid transport in Greater Christchurch.
But these plans have been stalled by a lack of public transport funding in the Government’s 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme.
A proposal to allow people to travel with domestic pets is also included in the draft plan.
Having pets on buses has been successfully trial in other parts of New Zealand, councillor Joe Davies said.
‘‘We’re keen to understand what controls are needed for our bus users in Greater Christchurch and Timaru to be comfortable with pets on public transport.
It is proposed to allow adult passengers to bring a single pet on board, as long it is in an approved carrier at off-peak times, weekdays between 9am and 3pm or after 6pm, and during weekends.
Another proposal would loosen those restrictions in future to allow for leashed and muzzled dogs and increasing the limit to two pets per passenger.
‘‘We want to gauge how people feel about these proposals. Now is the time to have your say,’’ Davies said.
Submissions close on Thursday, October 24.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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